How to Sew a Chicken Potholder Crafts Fun

Sew a spring chicken for your kitchen, or make one for a friend. This crafty chicken potholder is a good crafts sewing project because it is fast, useful, and fun.

This pattern is adapted from an idea I saw many years ago.

Make a pattern.

Make the chicken top eight inches long and 6 1/4 inches tall, and make an 8 inch circle for the bottom piece. Cut two tops and two bottoms to make it heavy. Lay the bottoms on the tops and trim the rounded edges so it matches. The comb of the chicken is made from a red felt that is 3 1/2 inches x 1 3/4 inches tall. See the pictures.

Choose the fabric.

Select a fabric that is flame resistant or retardant if you intend to use the potholder in the kitchen. If you just want to display it, it may not matter. You will also need a bottom fabric that is quilted, or quilt your own with some quilt batting and muslin on the inside.

Place the comb of the chicken.

Add the red felt comb to curve around the head on the right side of one of the pattern pieces. Do not be concerned if it seems too large--you can trim it to size later.

Assemble the top.

Lay the other chicken fabric top on the one with the comb, right sides together, and sew around the edge from breast to tail. Turn this section, and put some quilt batting in the head to make it floppy and fat. Add an eye on each side, and trim the comb if you need.

Make the bottom padded.

Using quilted fabric or quilt your own, make sure that the bottom piece is heavy for use as a potholder. If you have cut two of the fabric, put wrong sides together and sew around them. Pin the top to the bottom and sew around the circle.

Add the bias binding.

Trim off any excess around the circle. Sew the bias binding around the circle from the topside by placing the right side of the binding on the right side of the chicken body. Fold to the back and sew by hand, or pin and stitch by machine. Add a loop or ring at the tail for hanging the chicken potholder.